1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to bicycle seats in general and in particular to a method and apparatus for independently supporting each side of a user on a bicycle.
2. Description of Related Art
Bicycles are a common form of transportation for many people. In a conventional or upright form, a user sits upon a seat or saddle located at a distance above and between the two wheels and grasps a handlebar connected to the front wheel with his or her hands.
Traditionally, bicycle seats are formed of a unitary support member having a forward or nose portion which is narrowed to fit between a user's legs and a widened rear portion for supporting the buttocks of the user. The forward portion may be utilized by the user to provide stability while riding as well as to leverage against during peddling to increase peddling power. Padding or suspension is often provided to the unitary seat to improve rider comfort.
One difficulty experienced by many bicycle riders is that conventional bicycles can exert pressure on their perineum which may reduce blood flow leading to erectile dysfunction or numbness. Previous attempts to reduce this pressure on the perineum of the user have been to replace a conventional seat with a pair of seating pads which are each placed under one side of the buttocks of the user. An example of such seats is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 560,698 to Dyer. Disadvantageously, such seats do not provide any lateral stability to the rider which may reduce the stability that the rider may have as well as the power that the user may exert on the pedals.